Republic Day is the name of aholiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they becamerepublics.
| Country | Date of transition | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 26 July 1581 | TheRepublic of the Seven United Netherlands declared its independence fromKing Philip II of Spain on 26 July 1581 with theAct of Abjuration, and became theBatavian Republic in 1795. TheKingdom of Holland was formed on 5 June 1806. |
| Switzerland | 24 October 1648 | Switzerland became independent from theHoly Roman Empire by theTreaty of Westphalia |
| England | 19 May 1649 | TheCommonwealth of England, later known asthe Protectorate, wasestablished on 19 May 1649 following the execution ofKing Charles I. At its height, it ruled over all theBritish Isles. Themonarchy was restored on 29 May 1660. |
| United States | 4 July 1776 | Wentde facto independent from Great Britain with adoption of theUnited States Declaration of Independence |
| Paraguay | 15 May 1811 | Independence from Spain[dubious –discuss] |
| Argentina | 9 July 1816 | Independence won from the Spanish Empire. Republican governments were established from 1811 onwards. Republican constitutions of 1819 and 1826 led to the adoption of the 1853 text |
| Chile | 12 February 1818 | Independence was declared by the Spanish Empire. Between 1810 and 1814 there were Republican governments although nominally remained loyal to the Spanish monarchy. In 1817 there was re-established the independentist government and established a republican system in different constitutional texts. |
| Venezuela | 15 August 1819 | Venezuelan constitution of 1819 adopted |
| Colombia | 17 December 1819 | Republic ofColombia declared duringCongress of Angostura |
| Panama | ||
| Ecuador | 24 May 1822 | Incorporated into Republic ofColombia, end ofRoyal Audiencia of Quito |
| Costa Rica | 1 July 1823 | Independence ofUnited Provinces of Central America |
| El Salvador | ||
| Guatemala | ||
| Honduras | ||
| Nicaragua | ||
| Peru | 9 December 1824 | Treaty signed afterBattle of Ayacucho |
| Bolivia | 6 August 1825 | Constitutional Congress declared Bolivia a republic |
| Uruguay | 4 October 1828 | Ratification ofTreaty of Montevideo |
| Liberia | 26 July 1847 | Independent Republic of Liberia created |
| Haiti | 15 January 1859 | Abdication ofEmperor Faustin |
| Dominican Republic | 25 March 1865 | Adoption of new constitution near end ofDominican Restoration War |
| Mexico | 15 July 1867 | Emperor Maxmilian executed; Federal Republic officially restored |
| France | 4 September 1870 | EmperorNapoleon III deposed andFrench Third Republic proclaimed as a result of theFranco-Prussian War |
| Algeria | Republican government instituted when French mother country became a republic | |
| Ivory Coast | ||
| Mauritania | ||
| Senegal | ||
| Brazil | 15 November 1889 | EmperorPedro II deposed andBrazilian Republic proclaimed by MarshallDeodoro da Fonseca |
| Hawaii | 4 July 1894 | QueenLiliʻuokalani deposed and the republic proclaimed following a provisional government |
| Madagascar | 28 February 1897 | End ofMerina Kingdom |
| Philippines | 23 January 1899 | First Philippine Republic.[a] |
| Cuba | 11 April 1899 | Official end of Spanish–American War |
| Portugal | 5 October 1910 | KingManuel II deposed andPortuguese First Republic proclaimed as a result of the1910 revolution |
| Angola | Republican government instituted when Portuguese mother country became a republic | |
| Cape Verde | ||
| East Timor | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | ||
| Mozambique | ||
| São Tomé and Príncipe | ||
| China | 10 October 1911 | Republic of China (ROC) proclaimed as a result of theXinhai Revolution. The ROC was initially in control of mainland China but later relocated to Taiwan. It is now commonly known as "Taiwan". The People's Republic of China was proclaimed on 1 October 1949 and is now in control ofmainland China. It is commonly known as "China". |
| Comoros | 1912 | End of last ofindigenous sultanates |
| Armenia | 14 September 1917 | EmperorNicholas II of Russia abdicated as a result of theFebruary Revolution and Russia was proclaimed a republic |
| Belarus | ||
| Estonia | ||
| Georgia | ||
| Kazakhstan | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | ||
| Latvia | ||
| Russia | ||
| Ukraine | ||
| Czech Republic | 18 October 1918 | Czechoslovak Republic proclaimed |
| Slovakia | ||
| Lithuania | 2 November 1918 | KingMindaugas II deposed and Republic of Lithuania proclaimed |
| Germany | 9 November 1918 | EmperorWilliam II abdicated as a result of theGerman Revolution |
| Austria | 12 November 1918 | Republic ofGerman Austria proclaimed following the dethronement of EmperorCharles |
| Poland | 14 November 1918 | Power transferred from theRegency Council toChief of StateJózef Piłsudski |
| Finland | 17 July 1919 | Constitution Act or Instrument of Government: Finland became a republic |
| Turkmenistan | 26 April 1920 | KhanSayid Abdullah deposed andKhorezm People's Soviet Republic proclaimed |
| Lebanon | 23 July 1920 | French Mandate of Syria established after theBattle of Maysalun |
| Syria | ||
| Tajikistan | 8 October 1920 | EmirMohammed Alim Khan deposed andBukharan People's Republic proclaimed |
| Uzbekistan | ||
| Togo | 20 July 1922 | Formal beginning ofFrench TogolandLeague of Nations Mandate |
| Turkey | 29 October 1923 | Republic of Turkey was proclaimed after theTurkish War of Independence, succeeding theOttoman Empire |
| Mongolia | 26 November 1924 | Mongolian People's Republic proclaimed. Now the date is celebrated as 'Republic Day'Public holidays in Mongolia |
| Spain | 14 April 1931 | TheSecond Spanish Republic came to power on 14 April 1931 following theeconomic crisis caused by the1929 Wall Street Crash. The Republic lost power after theSpanish Civil War.Francisco Franco then led Spain until his death on 20 November 1975 whendemocracy, along with the monarchy, was restored. |
| Moldova | 2 August 1940 | Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed following the annexation ofRomanianMoldavia by theSoviet Union |
| Iceland | 17 June 1944 | Republic of Iceland established after a referendum |
| North Korea | 15 August 1945 | Korea liberated from Japan and thePeople's Republic of Korea established, divided intoNorth Korea andSouth Korea a month later. |
| South Korea | ||
| Indonesia | 17 August 1945 | Republic of Indonesia'sproclamation of independence triggering theIndonesian National Revolution |
| Vietnam | 25 August 1945 | EmperorBảo Đại abdicated andDemocratic Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed |
| Taiwan | 25 October 1945 | Taiwan and Penghu Islandstransferred to theRepublic of China. Since 1949, the ROC only controls Taiwan and the surrounding islands. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 29 November 1945 | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed while KingPeter II was in exile |
| Croatia | ||
| North Macedonia | ||
| Montenegro | ||
| Serbia | ||
| Slovenia | ||
| Albania | 1 January 1946 | People's Republic of Albania proclaimed while KingZog was in exile |
| Hungary | 1 February 1946 | The Second Hungarian Republic proclaimed |
| Italy | 2 June 1946 | KingUmberto II renounced the throne and theItalian Republic was established after areferendum |
| Bulgaria | 15 September 1946 | TsarSimeon II deposed andPeople's Republic of Bulgaria proclaimed after a referendum |
| Marshall Islands | 18 July 1947 | end ofSouth Pacific Mandate and beginning ofTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands |
| Micronesia | ||
| Palau | ||
| Romania | 30 December 1947 | KingMichael abdicated and thePeople's Republic of Romania was proclaimed |
| Myanmar | 4 January 1948 | Burmese independence declared |
| Israel | 14 May 1948 | State of Israel proclaimed |
| Ireland | 18 April 1949 | Republic of Ireland Act came into force |
| India | 26 January 1950 | Constitution of India came into effect |
| Egypt | 18 June 1953 | Republic proclaimed afterrevolution in 1952 |
| South Sudan | 1 January 1956 | Independence ofRepublic of Sudan |
| Sudan | ||
| Pakistan | 23 March 1956 | Constitution of Pakistan came into effect and Governor-GeneralIskander Mirza became president. Three coups in1958 Pakistani coup d'état,1977 and in1999 respectively before restoration of the civil electorate in 2008. |
| Tunisia | 25 July 1957 | KingMuhammad VIII al-Amin deposed |
| Iraq | 14 July 1958 | Faisal II deposed/killed in14 July Revolution |
| Somalia | 26 June 1960 | Independence ofState of Somaliland, which was united with theTrust Territory of Somalia on 1 July to form theSomali Republic |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 30 June 1960 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Ghana | 1 July 1960 | Constitutional change afterreferendum on 27 April |
| Cyprus | 16 August 1960 | The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus adopted |
| South Africa | 31 May 1961 | Republicanconstitution adopted |
| Cameroon | 1 October 1961 | End of British Trusteeship inSouthern Cameroons, union with rest of Cameroon |
| Rwanda | 1 July 1962 | Independence as a republic followingmonarchy referendum in 1961 |
| Yemen | 27 September 1962 | KingMuhammad al-Badr deposed andYemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) proclaimed |
| Tanganyika | 9 December 1962 | Republican constitution adopted |
| Nigeria | 1 October 1963 | Constitutional amendment |
| Uganda | 9 October 1963 | Constitutional amendment |
| Zanzibar | 12 January 1964 | Sultanate overthrown inZanzibar Revolution |
| Zambia | 24 October 1964 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Kenya | 12 December 1964 | Republican constitution adopted |
| Singapore | 9 August 1965 | Ousted from the Federation of Malaysia |
| Malawi | 6 July 1966 | Republican constitution adopted |
| Botswana | 30 September 1966 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Burundi | 28 November 1966 | Republic declared after army coup d'état |
| South Yemen | 30 November 1967 | Independence ofPeople's Republic of South Yemen |
| Nauru | 31 January 1968 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 October 1968 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Maldives | 11 November 1968 | SultanMuhammad Fareed Didi deposed andMaldivian Second Republic established after a referendum |
| Libya | 1 September 1969 | KingIdris I deposed byMuammar Gaddafi's coup d'état |
| Guyana | 23 February 1970 | Co-operative Republic of Guyana proclaimed |
| Cambodia | 18 March 1970 | TheKhmer Republic (later known asDemocratic Kampuchea, then thePeople's Republic of Kampuchea, and finally theState of Cambodia) was declared in 1970 when PrinceNorodom Sihanouk was deposed. Themonarchy was restored in 1993. |
| The Gambia | 24 April 1970 | Republic proclaimed following a constitutional referendum |
| Sierra Leone | 19 April 1971 | Republican constitution adopted |
| Sri Lanka | 22 May 1972 | Sri Lankan constitution adopted |
| Bangladesh | 16 December 1972 | The Constitution came into effect a year after the formation of the state in 1972. Threecoups followed in1975 and1982. |
| Afghanistan | 17 July 1973 | KingMohammed Zahir Shah abdicated afterMohammed Daoud Khan's coup d'état |
| Greece | 8 December 1974 | Final abolition of monarchy; referendum |
| Malta | 13 December 1974 | Republic of Malta proclaimed |
| Eritrea | 21 March 1975 | Monarchy ofEthiopian Empire finally abolished |
| Ethiopia | ||
| Suriname | 25 November 1975 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Laos | 2 December 1975 | KingSavang Vatthana abdicated as a result of a communist revolution |
| Seychelles | 29 June 1976 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 August 1976 | Republican constitution adopted |
| Dominica | 3 November 1978 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Iran | 11 February 1979 | ShahMohammad Reza Pahlavi deposed and the Islamic Republic of Iran (a theocratic republic) was proclaimed as a result of theIranian Revolution |
| Kiribati | 12 July 1979 | Gained independence as a republic |
| Central African Republic | 21 September 1979 | Emperor Bokassa I deposed in a coup d'état |
| Zimbabwe | 17 April 1980 | Full independence of Zimbabwe |
| Fiji | 6 October 1987 | Fiji Republic proclaimed as a result of thecoup d'état ofSitiveni Rabuka |
| Mauritius | 12 March 1992 | Republic ofMauritius proclaimed as a result of constitutional changes |
| Samoa | 11 May 2007 | Upon the death ofMalietoa Tanumafili II, Samoa changed to a parliamentary republic. |
| Nepal | 28 May 2008 | Abolition of monarchy |
| Barbados | 30 November 2021 | Republic of Barbados to be declared effective 30 November 2021. |
The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially calledThe day of establishment of Slovak republic.
AfterYugoslavia fell apart,Serbs inBosnia and Herzegovina wanted to stay withSerbia andMontenegro.Croats andBosniaks, on the other hand, wanted to create an independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 9 January 1992, Bosnian Serb authorities declared the creation of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, now calledRepublika Srpska ("Serb Republic", not to be confused with theRepublic of Serbia) as a state within the country of Bosnia of Herzegovina. Republika Srpska now celebrates Republic Day on the anniversary of the state's creation.
TheConstitution of India came into force, and India declared itself a Republic on 26 January 1950, a day thereafter celebrated annually asRepublic Day inIndia. The Constitution had been drafted by theConstituent Assembly headed by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar which was set up when India gained its independence from the British in 1947. This was a deliberate act: The 26 January was initially India's "Independence Day", one of Mahatma Gandhi's many symbolic acts during India's struggle for freedom against British colonial rule, and the adoption of the Constitution on this date was felt able to strengthen its initial meaning, one calling for Indians of all ages to declare their freedom from theBritish Raj by Mahatama Gandhi. It is one of threenational holidays in India, the other two being the nation'sIndependence Day on 15 August (since 1947) and thebirthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 2 October.
To mark this occasion, a grand parade is held nearKartavya Path, formerlyRajpath inNew Delhi, thecapital of India, beginning fromRaisina Hill near theRashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), along theKartavya path, formerlyRajpath, pastIndia Gate and on to the historicRed Fort in the old quarter of the city. Different infantry, cavalry and mechanized regiments of theIndian Army, theIndian Marines and theIndian Air Force march in formation, decked in all their finery and official decorations. ThePresident of India, who is also theCommander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. TheChief Guest of the parade is the Head of State or Head of Government of another nation. The parade also includes many traditional dance troupes, to symbolize the cultural heritage of India. It traditionally ends with a colourfulflypast byIndian Air Force jets in atiranga formation. Similar parades are held in thecapitals of all the states of India, where the Governors of the respective states take the salute. The official conclusion of Republic Day festivities is much later on 30 January, four days after the Republic Day.
On 1 February 1946Hungary commemorates the proclamation of the Republic of Hungary. Since 2004, this day is a national commemoration day, without being a public or national Holiday.
InPakistan this day marks the passing of theLahore Resolution. Republic Day of Pakistan was first observed in 1956 when Pakistan officially became a Republic and shunned the former status ofDominion. The main events of this day include a fullmilitary parade and the awarding of honours at thePresidency (Presidential Palace) by thepresident.Every year, on 23 March, the Pakistani people commemorate their National Day in remembrance of "The Pakistan Resolution" passed on 23 March 1940, in the historic city of Lahore which is also the day the country was declared a republic.
On 28 May 1918Armenia andNepalTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, thus forming theDemocratic Republic of Armenia and theNepal Democratic Republic. These were the first sovereign republics in the history of both countries and Nepal was the first democraticparliamentary republic only achieved consistency after thedissolution of the Soviet Union.
A decade-long People's Revolution by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal in 2006, culminated in a peace accord and the ensuing elections for the constituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic on 28 May 2008.
Between 1961 and 1994, 31 May was celebrated in South Africa asRepublic Day. This practice was discontinued in 1995 following the attainment of majority rule and the reorganisation of public holidays as a consequence. On the last Republic Day, in 1994, South Africa rejoined theCommonwealth of Nations.
An institutional referendum (Italian:referendum istituzionale, orreferendum sulla forma istituzionale dello Stato)[1][2][3] was held byuniversal suffrage in theKingdom of Italy on 2 June 1946,[4] a key event ofcontemporary Italian history. Until 1946,Italy was a kingdom ruled by theHouse of Savoy, reigning since theunification of Italy in 1861 and previously rulers of theKingdom of Sardinia. In 1922, the rise ofBenito Mussolini and the creation of theFascist regime in Italy, which eventually resulted in engaging the country inWorld War II alongsideNazi Germany, considerably weakened the role of the royal house.
Following theItalian Civil War and theLiberation of Italy fromAxis troops in 1945, a popular referendum on the institutional form of the state was called the next year and resulted in voters choosing the replacement of themonarchy with arepublic. The1946 Italian general election to elect theConstituent Assembly of Italy was held on the same day.[5] As with the simultaneous Constituent Assembly elections, the referendum was not held in theJulian March, in theprovince of Zara or theprovince of Bolzano, which were still under occupation byAllied forces pending a final settlement of the status of the territories.
The results were proclaimed by theSupreme Court of Cassation on 10 June 1946: 12,717,923 citizens in favor of the republic and 10,719,284 citizens in favor of the monarchy.[6] The event is commemorated annually by theFesta della Repubblica. The former KingUmberto II voluntarily left the country on 13 June 1946, headed forCascais, in southernPortugal, without even waiting for the results to be defined and the ruling on the appeals presented by the monarchist party, which were rejected by the Supreme Court of Cassation on 18 June 1946. With the entry into force of the newConstitution of the Italian Republic, on 1 January 1948,Enrico De Nicola became the first to assume the functions ofpresident of Italy. It was the first time that the wholeItalian Peninsula (excludingVatican City) was under a form of republican governance since the end of the ancientRoman Republic.
Ghana's republican day.
4 July 1946 is the Philippines'Republic Day.
14 July 1958 is the day the Hashemite monarchy was overthrown in Iraq by popular forces led byAbdul Karim Kassem, who became the nation's new leader. The event was commemorated in Baghdad with a statue on 14 July Square.
It's the day the monarchy was abolished by the National Assembly and Republic was proclaimed.Habib Bourguiba was chosen to be the first President.
On the 2nd of September 1990, thePridnestrovian Moldavian SSR was proclaimed, declaring independence from theMoldavian SSR. It is now celebrated as Republic Day, despite the fact Transnistria declared independence from the USSR completely 11 months later on the 25th.
5 October in Portugal is known asImplantação da República. It celebrates the proclamation of thePortuguese First Republic in 1910.
10 October inTaiwan is a national holiday commemorating the establishment of theRepublic of China in 1911, the symbolic start of the Chinese revolution with theWuchang uprising. It is also known as theDouble Ten Day.
Although the government ofIan Smith declaredRhodesia (nowZimbabwe) a republic on 2 March 1970, it was officially commemorated on 24 October. Following independence in 1980, the holiday was abolished.
In the waning days of Soviet rule, individualrepublics of the Soviet Union sought greater autonomy. TheSoviet Union agreed in early 1990 to give up its monopoly of political power. Following the lead ofLithuanian SSR,Russian SFSR and others,Kazakh SSR declared its sovereignty on 25 October 1990, andKazakhstan subsequently became independent on 16 December 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed. 25 October, the anniversary of the adoption of the "Declaration on State Sovereignty of Kazakh SSR" by the Kazakh legislature in 1990, is now commemorated as Republic Day (Kazakh:Республика күні,romanized: Respwblïka küni), apublic holiday in Kazakhstan.
On 29 October 1923, theTurkish constitution was amended andTurkey became arepublic. This formally declared the dissolution of theOttoman Empire. Republic Day (Turkish:Cumhuriyet Bayramı) is celebrated throughout Turkey and Northern Cyprus every year. Commemorative events usually begin in the afternoon on the previous day. In observance of the holiday, government offices and schools close for a day. Also, there are fireworks shows in all cities of Turkey. That day everyone commemorates Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
On 11 November 1968,Maldives the then existing monarchy was abolished and replaced by a republic.
On 15 November 1889, in the city of Rio de Janeiro (the Brazilian capital at that time), a military coup led by Field MarshalDeodoro da Fonseca overthrew EmperorPedro II and declaredBrazil a republic.
On 29 November 1943, theAnti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) established the foundations of post-warYugoslavia as asocialist republic, which was officially proclaimed on the same date in 1945.Republic Day (local name:Dan Republike or Дан Републике) marked the occasion two consecutive days, 29 and 30 November, and was likely the most important holiday (the other two-day holidays wereNew Year andMay Day).
Inelementary schools first graders were inducted into theUnion of Pioneers on or around Republic Day. Employees merged the holiday with weekends and extra days off to form 3-, 4- or even 5-day weekends. Urban dwellers took the occasion to visit their relatives in the country, who marked the event withpig slaughter and the ensuing feast.
In the 1980s, as central andCommunist Party authority eroded, dissenters targeted Republic Day celebrations for criticism. In 1987,Bosniangarage rock bandZabranjeno pušenje published a song entitledDan Republike, in which they criticized the state of the economy and protested the general indifference to the ideals behind the holiday. The band had tochange some of the lyrics before being allowed to air the song.
In 1989,Slovenia andCroatia were the first federal republics to cease observing the holiday. Other seceded republics followed suit asYugoslavia dissolved.Federal Republic of Yugoslavia kept the holiday until 2002.
The date "29.XI.1943" featured prominently on theYugoslav coat of arms.
This day is celebrated as bothIndependence Day and Republic Day, as on 30 November 2021, Barbados was declared as aRepublic within the Commonwealth. DameSandra Mason, the lastGovernor-General of Barbados was installed as the firstPresident of Barbados.
On 13 December 1974, theconstitution ofMalta was substantially revised, transforming the former Britishcolony from aCommonwealth Realm into arepublic within theCommonwealth. The British Monarch ceased to be recognised asReġina ta' Malta (Queen of Malta) and the new Head of State was President SirAnthony Mamo. This occasion is marked every year asRepublic Day (Maltese:Jum ir-Repubblika) in Malta. The monument of Republic Day is atMarsa.
18 December 1958 is commemorated in theRepublic of Niger asRepublic Day, the national holiday. Although not the date of formal, complete independence fromFrance, 18 December marks the founding of the Republic and creation of thePresidency of the Republic of Niger, following the constitutional changes of theFrench Fifth Republic, and the elections of 4 December 1958 held acrossThe French Colonial possessions. Nigeriens consider this date to be the founding of their nation. Between 18 December 1958 and 5 August 1964, Niger remained a semi-autonomous Republic within theFrench Community.
The 16th is celebrated in Niger with official festivals and appearances of political leaders, as well as public parties and festivities. The 50th-anniversary celebrations were held in 2006, centered not in the capital, but in the regional center ofTillabéry, and surrounded by sports, musical and arts competitions, the opening of new buildings, a National Youth Festival, and other public festivities.[7]
